Well , we've settled the problems of price , quality and quantity . What mode of payment do you wish to employ ?   Irrevocable letter of credit , of course . It's the normal terms of payment in international business .   Could you adopt D / A or D / P ? You see I have to pay a deposit when I open a letter of credit . That will tie up my funds and add to the cost of my imports , especially for such a huge order .   You might consult your bank and see if you could reduce the required deposit to a minimum .   Anyhow , there would be certain bank charges . We've done business for years and you should have some faith in our credit . It would help me greatly , if you could accept D / A or D / P . It makes no difference to you , but it does to me .   Well . As you understand , the irrevocable L / C gives the exports additional protection of the banker ’ s guarantee . We always ask for L / C for our exports , and the other way around , we pay by L / C for our imports . We only accept L / C for regular orders . 